Trey Brown picked the perfect weekend to visit the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on an official basketball recruiting trip.
The weather was perfect, fans were excited and he saw the football Mocs nearly beat Appalachian State.
“It felt like home to me,” Brown said. “Everybody was real excited and having a good time out there. Even though they lost, I had a good feeling. I liked the vibe.”
Brown said that feeling helped him choose UTC over a handful of other schools for his college career.
The 6-foot-7 senior at Brandon (Miss.) High School recently committed to Mocs coach John Shulman and said he chose UTC over Southeast Louisiana and Louisiana-Monroe.
He will be able to sign scholarship papers during the early signing period, Nov. 10-17. Shulman will have five scholarships to offer for the 2011-12 season.
“I’m going to get my degree, and that’s the most important thing,” Brown said. “With that I’ll be set for the rest of my life.”
Brown averaged nearly 10 points and seven rebounds per game for the Bulldogs last year.
“I’m versatile because I can handle it and shoot it from outside,” Brown said. “But I weigh 190, so I need to get bigger because going to the lane, you need to get that and-one.”
Brown’s visit including the football game, lunch downtown and visit to Shulman’s house for another meal in addition to the traditional tour of campus and the facilities. His younger sister, Jasmine Brown, who also is a basketball recruit, took the trip with him.
“I really like the campus, I hung out with the guys, and I fit in with them,” Brown said. “It was a great trip.”
Contact David Uchiyama at 423-757-6484 or duchiyama@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/UchSports